A recently released study by the World Bank has ranked Taiwan as the top country in Asia and 8th in the world overall for the extent to which it provides equal rights to men and women.
The study, titled "Women, Business and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform," examined the laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees across 187 economies based on 10 years of data. From college graduates first entering the workforce to women preparing to retire, the index investigates how the economic decisions of females are affected by law.
The study measured eight indicators that assess how women interact with the law as they progress through their careers, including: Going Places, Starting a Job, Getting Paid, Getting Married, Having Children, Running a Business, Managing Assets, and Getting a Pension.
Of these eight indicators, Taiwan received a perfect score of 100 percent in five categories, including Going Places, Starting a Job, Getting Paid, Getting Married, and Managing Assets. However, Taiwan lagged somewhat in Having Children (80), Running a Business (75), and Getting a Pension (75).
On its overall Women, Business and the Law index, in which perfect score of 100 means that men and women are treated completely equally under the law, Taiwan scored a 91.25, making it the leader in Asia. Overall in the world, it tied with Albania and New Zealand for 8th place.
The closest countries behind Taiwan in Asia were Laos (12th), Hong Kong (14th), and South Korea (15th). The top spot in the world was a six-way tie between Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Sweden.
In the indicator Getting Paid, which measures laws affecting occupational segregation and the gender wage gap, the study noted that Taiwan was one of 22 countries which had implemented reforms on the restrictions on women's work in various sectors, and was only one of six that had removed all such limitations.
On Sunday, President Tsai Ing-wen on Twitter pointed out the fact that Taiwan was one six countries to remove all restrictions on the employment of women and said, "I believe every woman should be given the right to pursue her aspirations."
Source: Taiwan News
